After more than a year of incarceration, Lil Wayne is back with a new album that shows prison doesn’t always reform people for the better.

In “Tha Carter IV,” Wayne tries to shatter his bad-boy image by focusing some songs on his emotions, but fails to retire his misogynist attitude throughout the entire album.

Wayne shows compassion in his song “How to Love,” an acoustic love ballad that clashes with Wayne’s usually brash style. The track is epitomized by the lines: “I just want you to know/ That you deserve the best/ You’re beautiful.” Though this song is both catchy and surprisingly beautiful, it’s a stand-alone track in a sea of clichéd raps where Wayne brags about how materialistic he is.

The 28-year-old’s newest release shows he does not have the skills or fresh ideas to survive in the rap industry for much longer. Wayne’s catchphrase “Weezy F. Baby” is scattered through most of his music, and this time, the “F” stands for failure.

1 out of 4 stars